Dell Dimension 5150

PC World

02/04/06

  • Review
  • Specs
  • Images
  • User Reviews
  • Buy Now
Dell Dimension 5150

  • Expert Rating

    4.00 / 5

Pros

  • Great media capabilities

Cons

  • Poor benchmark performance

Bottom Line

For the price this system is a very decent all round performer.

Would you buy this?

Special Offers

Even though it would void the warranty, this Dell looks like a prime candidate for overclocking. Behind the front panel of the BTX case is a gaping hole for maximum airflow. This flows straight through the PC via the fins of a huge CPU heat sink with a surface area that would rival "The Biggest Loser". It then flows over the heat sink of the video card. The BTX motherboard is made for quiet computing, with only two fans.

Inside is cable heaven, everything is tucked away nicely, increasing airflow. It is also easy to access, with a well-designed tool-less chassis and easy access tool-less hard drive trays. A second tray has been left spare along with two more RAM slots for upgradeability.

Running on a Pentium 4 650 Processor, with HyperThreading, the Dimension let us down somewhat in benchmarking, delivering a score of 77 in PC WorldBench 5 - surprisingly, being held back by its multitasking ability. As expected with the ATI Radeon X600 video card, it scored 1723 in 3DMark, and an average frame rate of 6fps in FEAR on maximum settings.

It comes bundled with Sonic MyDVD and Windows XP Media Center Edition, a 13-in-1 USB 2.0 Hi-Speed media card reader for all flash storage formats and a 7200rpm 250GB hard drive. Couple this with a brilliant 20in LCD screen that supports a resolution of 1680x1050 pixels; a Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music (which sounds incredible with 5.1 support) and the quiet factor, and all of a sudden, the Dimension is very appealing as a media hub. Video-out is also supported in case you have a bigger and better screen.

Join the PC World newsletter!

Error: Please check your email address.
Show Comments
Broadband Speed Test

Most Popular Reviews

Latest News Articles

Resources

PCW Evaluation Team

Azadeh Williams

HP OfficeJet Pro 8730

A smarter way to print for busy small business owners, combining speedy printing with scanning and copying, making it easier to produce high quality documents and images at a touch of a button.

Andrew Grant

HP OfficeJet Pro 8730

I've had a multifunction printer in the office going on 10 years now. It was a neat bit of kit back in the day -- print, copy, scan, fax -- when printing over WiFi felt a bit like magic. It’s seen better days though and an upgrade’s well overdue. This HP OfficeJet Pro 8730 looks like it ticks all the same boxes: print, copy, scan, and fax. (Really? Does anyone fax anything any more? I guess it's good to know the facility’s there, just in case.) Printing over WiFi is more-or- less standard these days.

Ed Dawson

HP OfficeJet Pro 8730

As a freelance writer who is always on the go, I like my technology to be both efficient and effective so I can do my job well. The HP OfficeJet Pro 8730 Inkjet Printer ticks all the boxes in terms of form factor, performance and user interface.

Michael Hargreaves

Windows 10 for Business / Dell XPS 13

I’d happily recommend this touchscreen laptop and Windows 10 as a great way to get serious work done at a desk or on the road.

Aysha Strobbe

Windows 10 / HP Spectre x360

Ultimately, I think the Windows 10 environment is excellent for me as it caters for so many different uses. The inclusion of the Xbox app is also great for when you need some downtime too!

Mark Escubio

Windows 10 / Lenovo Yoga 910

For me, the Xbox Play Anywhere is a great new feature as it allows you to play your current Xbox games with higher resolutions and better graphics without forking out extra cash for another copy. Although available titles are still scarce, but I’m sure it will grow in time.

Featured Content

Latest Jobs

Back to top • Home

Don’t have an account? Sign up here

Don't have an account? Sign up now

Forgot password?